1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passenger protection device for an automotive vehicle and, more particularly, to a passenger protection device which is installed in an instrument panel or a dashboard to protect knees of an occupant of a passenger seat of a front passenger compartment during a collision of the automotive vehicle when the knees of the occupant contact with the instrument panel or the dashboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an automotive vehicle has a knee protector, a seat belt and an air bag device for protecting the passenger of the vehicle during a collision of the automotive vehicle.
For example, Japanese Unexamined laid-open Utility Model application 4-24852 discloses that the knee protector device D, shown in FIG. 8, comprises a core B positioned at a lower position of the instrument panel A, corresponding to the position of the knees of the passenger. A steering support member C installed for supporting a steering shaft (not shown) lies within the instrument panel A and extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle. A pair of knee protector members d and d are fixed to the steering support member C as shown in FIG. 8.
Further, the core B is harder than the other portion of the instrument panel A for absorbing energy from impact of the knees of the passenger.
According to the above related art, as a pair of knee protector members d and d of the knee protector device D are deformed in the direction of arrow Z when receiving the impact energy from the knees of the passenger by way of the hard core B of the instrument panel during the collision of the vehicle. The knee protector D can protect the knees of the passenger.
On the other hand, a lot of other equipment including a blow unit, a cooler unit, a heater unit, and engine control equipment etc. are installed in the instrument panel A.
In this case, in general, each of these units is disposed relative to a dash lower panel extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle body, and which is disposed in front of and into the instrument panel. Sometimes the above units are disposed adjacent to the steering support member C and the knee protector members d and d in the instrument panel A.
In other words, the space available for deforming the knee protector members d and d is decreased by movement of the above units backwardly of the vehicle body upon impact.
Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to provide a sufficiently large space between the knee protector members and the equipment, which can function as a space for absorbing the impact energy from the knee of the passenger even if the equipment upon impact moves into this space and reduces this space.
However, lately, the automotive vehicle has a lot of equipment placed in the instrument panel to provide various functions to the passenger. Therefore, it is not easy to design a compatible, compact layout of the instrument panel and at the same time provide a secure safety structure of the instrument panel.
Thus, a problem still exists to provide a passenger protection device including the knee protector members, which isn't restricted during deforming of the knee protector members even if there are some units adjacent to the knee protector in the instrument panel.